Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

?ÄúGod of Luck?Äù by Ruthanne Lum McCunn It can be difficult sometimes to read a book so well-written that it quantum leaps its reader on board a packed 19th century slave ship amidst the muck of brutality on the high seas, the putrid smell of rotten meat, and the queasiness and suffocation of a tumultuous [...]

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The term adaptive reuse, most often used in the preservation of old buildings, has become a growing trend in local arts scenes. Empty storefronts in historic downtowns are being put to use, although temporarily, to show the diverse work of association and guild member artists throughout the country. When the city of Fairfield and the [...]

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Once you find the place, it may appear abandoned…the guy on duty was studying in an adjacent room…when i entered the room i was struck by a site studded by melted recycled plastic…formed …slumped….pinned to walls…kaleidoscopic…visionary…silly….shallow and deep…. The current show by Mike Wittels, aka Benny Shaboy, is a great show of creativity. He is [...]

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Attending Benicia Old Town Theatre Group’s (BOTTG) production of two one-act comedies, “Little Nell” by John Nash, and “Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure” by John Donald O’shea, I was entertained by both the company’s frolicking mad-cap humor and that evening’s audience. The production stands as an ideal excuse to gather a group of friends [...]

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It was one more chance to see the work of six artists. The show is destined to close on the 2nd of November. But it was also a chance to dress for what I lovingly call “Amateur Night” for costumes. Not to say that what people wore was any less well done, or down right [...]

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THE COLOR PURPLE at the Orpheum Theatre through December 9th. THE BLUEST EYE at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre through November 11th. (left to right:) Rufus Bonds, Jr., Jeannette Bayardelle, and Kimberly Ann Harris, Virginia Ann Woodruff and Lynette DuPree. Photo Credit: Paul Kolnik The Bay area is graced with two new plays — one a [...]

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He can still do it. Wendy & Lisa, and Sheila E. perform on the disc, as well. The new release from Prince and the New Power Generation is called Planet Earth. A mix of pop, rock, funk, and a ballad, the CD was like having a D√©j√? Vu moment from Prince recordings circa 1985. You [...]

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The latest film by director Ang Lee is a stylish, but languid thriller. Set in China during the Japanese occupation of World War II, Lust, Caution at one level seemed a study in patience and planning. Starring such big names as Joan Chen and Tony Leung, the story hops back and forth via flashbacks between [...]

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In his latest novel, Spook Country, William Gibson takes another step away from science fiction, yet continues his cyberpunk themes. Widely hailed as the soothsayer of cyberspace, up until 2005?Äôs Pattern Recognition, Gibson?Äôs works were always set in a morally decadent future, laid to waste by rampant technology and corporate encroachment. Continuing down the side [...]

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Solano College Theatre is presenting Shakespeare?Äôs Comedy of Errors at the Harbor theatre in Suisun City now through 28 October. Director Julian Lopez-Morillas serves up a mixed bag of beautifully spoken lines, less-than-perfect farce, and a smattering of ponderous and hard-to-follow soliloquies that leave the audience behind, but nevertheless entertain. I will be the first [...]

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This show might as well have been named after the Franz Liszt?Äôs famous polonaise ?ÄúImpromptu.?Äù But because of the diligent last minute work of a few new and core members of the Vallejo Artists?Äô Guild, the show will go on. Well at least a show will. Because of a number of unrelated circumstances, what started [...]

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photos by s.n. jacobson This was the first time, in the three years since I joined the Vallejo Artists?Äô Guild, that I have not had a place to show my work. I was to show at Tiki Tattoo parlor but they were in the middle of a move (and I thought they just didn?Äôt like [...]

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6th Street Playhouse production of The Grapes of Wrath Photo by Eric Chazankin. Packed with poignant moments, the 6th Street Playhouse production of The Grapes of Wrath, adapted by Frank Galati from Steinbeck’s historically detailed novel, embedded a long lasting visual impression. There were scenes/monologues when one could hear a pin drop. The dialog describes [...]

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Taiko drummer Shoji Kameda?Äôs skill with the big Japanese drum and his love of performance is quite evident. Not only does Kameda appear with his band On Ensemble, but in addition he performs with LA-based Hiroshima (currently on tour and recently at Yoshi?Äôs Jack London Square). A California native from Mt. Shasta, Mr. Kameda trained [...]

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I was fortunate enough to land tickets for one of the shows the band Hiroshima played at Yoshi?Äôs Jack London Square last week. The band Hiroshima has been releasing albums and CDs since the late seventies. Their current tour is in support of the latest release Little Tokyo (read the review at http://listenandbeheard.net/2007/06/06/little-tokyo/ ). Considering [...]

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